Newt's Emerald

A Regency Romantasy

By: Garth Nix

Narrated by: Faye Adele

Inspired by the works of Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen, Garth Nix's Newt's Emerald is a Regency romance with a fantasy twist. New York Times bestselling author Gail Carriger calls it "charming; quite, quite charming."

After Lady Truthful's magical Newington Emerald is stolen from her she devises a simple plan: go to London to recover the missing jewel. She quickly learns, however, that a woman cannot wander the city streets alone without damaging her reputation, and she disguises herself as a mustache-wearing man. During Truthful's dangerous journey she discovers a crook, an unsuspecting ally, and an evil sorceress—but will she find the Emerald?

Sweet & Magical

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Definitely! Fans of Jane Austen will appreciate the pacing of this book and the witty ways the characters interact.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I don't want to spoil it, but it's one of the few romance novels I've read where the ending was worth the wait!

Uneven narration; cute story

A cute faux-regency story, nimbly plotted and quick paced.
The narrator has a pleasing voice and is excellent with accents -- but she makes so many errors in pronunciation! Examples: "bough" for Bow (as in bow window or Bow Street Runners) ; "mull-ishly" for mulishly; "cure-ickel" for curricle; "saloon" for salon. Too many more to list.

Clean, fun magical romp

Would you listen to Newt's Emerald again? Why?

I think I would. I loved the narrator's skill of different accents and really getting into the story. Plus the side characters, magical elements and the writing style were very good.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

It was rushed. I do think he needed at least 100 more pages to extend the romance and action of the finale.

Have you listened to any of Faye Adele’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This was my first listen to Faye Adele and I was impressed. She wasn't over dramatic; she played every part, efficient in each accent and gave the story a lot of life and fun.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

A missing jewel and evil sorcerers can really make London exciting.

Any additional comments?

Nix truly adapted the regency era writing style perfectly. He always tries something different and I loved seeing a new and different story from him. This is also a very clean story, for those who don't like graphic content in their books.

what fun!

Another imaginative Nix tale! The Austen-era historical fantasy setting and romance plotline make for a delightful romp.

Loved it!

Perfect historical romance imo. Heroine fun and proactive the hero darcy'esque and the mistaken identity plot wasn't drawn out for too long